Huge crowds thronged Namma Metro, while traffic was thrown out of gear in several parts due to the Congress rally at National College grounds on Monday.
Namma Metro saw huge rush as the Congress had bought 50,000 two-way tickets and 30,000 single-way tickets for party workers to travel. The party had deposited ₹25 lakh for the purchase of the tickets. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials said this was the first time bulk tickets were purchased in huge numbers.
In addition, the flower show at Lalbagh and people visiting IKEA showroom near Nagasandra metro station also added to the heavy footfall. Till 7.30 p.m on Monday, more than 4.8 lakh (including 1 lakh tokens purchased by Congress and 30,000+ at Lalbagh station for flower show) travelled in the metro.
Due to increased demand in the morning and evening hours, the BMRCL operated loop trains to clear the rush from R.V. Road to Sampige Road metro stations. Heavy passenger movements were seen at Majestic, National College, Lalbagh, Vidhana Soudha, and other stations. People were seen sitting on the platform areas waiting for the trains to come, and trains were running packed.
Anjum Parwez, MD, BMRCL, said, “With the help of police and our staff, we managed to clear the rush by running additional trains as required. Our Director monitored the situation by sitting in the control room. It is a good sign that thousands of people relied on metro services to commute by ditching private vehicles. Use of private vehicles could have created traffic snarls.”
However, traffic movement in various parts of Bengaluru, including the Central Business District (CBD) areas, was disrupted after Congress workers took out a rally from the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station to the National College ground to mark the 75th Independence Day.
Despite the Bengaluru traffic police issuing an alert for traffic congestion in much of the city on Monday, traffic went out of gear as thousands of party workers from various parts of the city and neighbouring districts thronged the State capital to take part in the rally.
The general public had to be stuck in the traffic due to the rally and the police had a tough time. Traffic snarls were reported in Majestic, Queens Road, MG Road, Jayanagar, Basavanagudi, J.P. Nagar, J.C. road, Mysuru road, K.R. Puram, Hosur Road, and Outer Ring Road.
According to motorists, the commuting time in the CBD area increased by at least one-and-a-half hours as a result. Mohan Kumar, a motorist at Jayanagar, said: “This kind of political rally should not be permitted inside the city limits. I was stuck in traffic for more than one hour.”
Meanwhile, the BJP’s show of their strength on the occasion at the Kanteerva stadium, which was addressed by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, party president Nalin Kumar Kateel, former CM B.S. Yediyurappa and other leaders, also affected traffic in the city, particularly in CBD areas on Monday morning. The Bengaluru traffic police had made a few alternative arrangements to ensure that the traffic will not be affected, but in vain.
A senior traffic police official said that both political events disrupted the traffic movement, but as it was a government holiday, the number of motorists was lesser.
